Kearney From Canada, joined Nov 2006, 140 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 years 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 885 times:
Air Canada has a 3 member ground crew working on a flight. If it is heavy (as in lots or bags/cargo) or a larger aircraft they will give a second to assist. In the past they had crews of 6 (apparently), and to save money it seems they keep reducing that number. So I am curious to know how other airlines compare. (aswell on RJ's and Dash 8's for jazz flights it is usually 2 members per crew)
Our push-back procedure requires the lead to push the plane about 10 feet, then wait for the bridge attendant to make his/her way to the wing tip before continuing to push. It works but I think things would be much better with 4 of us!
TristarSteve From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 2816 posts, RR: 23 Reply 1, posted (3 years 1 week 5 hours ago) and read 869 times:
Quoting Kearney (Thread starter): Our push-back procedure requires the lead to push the plane about 10 feet, then wait for the bridge attendant to make his/her way to the wing tip before continuing to push. It works but I think things would be much better with 4 of us
You should send your boss over to ARN OSL or CPH and watch SAS pushing back B738s.
They use a towbarless tractor with one man. He drives the TBL and talks to the flight crew. No wing men. The big advantage is that when the departure is delayed due ATC (very common here) only one man has to stay with the aircraft. The others can go off to their next job.
ATCT From United States, joined Mar 2001, 1757 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (3 years 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 805 times:
At Delta we would always have three people bring in the aircraft, and 4 to push out. (One Marshaller, One Driver, and two wing walkers). Seemed like a perfect waste of employees.
ATCT
(Meanwhile USAirways across the way would have two people, and neither of us had bad safety records w/ aircraft damage on the ramp....figure that out).
TristarSteve From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 2816 posts, RR: 23 Reply 3, posted (3 years 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 768 times:
Quoting ATCT (Reply 2): At Delta we would always have three people bring in the aircraft, and 4 to push out. (One Marshaller, One Driver, and two wing walkers). Seemed like a perfect waste of employees.
Yes, we watch the American carriers in Europe. They all use wing walkers and baton wavers. No one else does.
You have to ask yourself why. Perhaps there are some gates in USA that are very tight and need assistance, but why employ all these people at all gates all over the world? All the gates for jets at ARN are straight in, no obstacles. All gates use an automatic parking system. ARN does not employ aircraft marshallers! Most are straight out, or at most a 90deg turn onto a wide taxiway. If the marked safety area on the ramp is clear, then there is no need for 'watchers with bats.'
They even tow aircraft into the hangars without guards. The floors are marked with all the safety lines and stop marks. The driver checks that all equipment is behind the red lines and drives up to the stop mark.
KBFIspotter From United States, joined May 2005, 729 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (3 years 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 651 times:
When I worked on the ramp at SEA for AS (Yes, I was a Menzies employee... a big mistake, and I only stayed three months before I got fed up and walked), It was policy to have a minimum of three to bring the plane in: One primary marshaller, and two wing walkers. On the down and up loads, we normally had three poeple as well, one at the bottom of the belt loader, and two in the pits, with the exception of the 739, where we would try to have three in the pits. For the pushback, We also required three people... One pushback driver, and two wing walkers. There are several gates in the C and D concourses at SEA that are fairly tight, especially on the upper D gates, so it is fairly important to have these personel...
As for my time with Menzies, My first day on the job was the day the flight to Burbank experienced the decompression due to a stupid employee running a tug into the side of the MD and not saying a word about it. That was when I figured it was probably a bab company to work for...
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